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Carbondale, Illinois

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Carbondale is a city in Southern Illinois in the midwest United States, is 105 miles or about two hours south of Saint Louis, Missouri. It is known mainly as the site of the main campus of Southern Illinois University. The city is located in Jackson County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 20,681. The city's current mayor is Brad Cole.

History

Carbondale was named by founder Daniel Harmon Brush, who had aspirations of developing coal mining operations in the region. By the time of the American Civil War, the area had been incorporated as a village. After the war it developed into a center of business and transportation for the region.[citation needed]

On April 29, 1866 one of the first formal Memorial Day observations was held at the city's Woodlawn Cemetery, with local resident General John A. Logan giving the principal address.[citation needed]

Southern Illinois Normal University, a major factor in Carbondale's economy, which later became known as Southern Illinois University (SIU), was founded in Carbondale in 1869 . Originally a teachers' college, it now has more than 21,000 students.

The city is in an area of the state known as Little Egypt.

A main site of interest for decades[citation needed] has been the stretch of Illinois Avenue near the SIU campus known as "The Strip." The Strip has an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and bars that cater to both the local and SIU student population.

Geography

Carbondale is located at 37°43′35″N 89°13′13″W / 37.72639°N 89.22028°W / 37.72639; -89.22028Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (37.726418, -89.220270)Template:GR. It is in the watershed of the Big Muddy River, at 415 feet above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²). 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.06% water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000 , there are 20,681 people, 9,981 households, and 3,493 families residing in the city. The population density is 671.6/km² (1,738.7/mi²). There are 10,968 housing units at an average density of 356.2/km² (922.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 66.08% White, 23.14% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 6.67% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. 3.05% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 9,981 households out of which 17.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.1% are married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 65.0% are non-families. 43.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.99 and the average family size is 2.78.

The age distribution, which is heavily influenced by the presence of SIU, is: 15.8% under the age of 18, 35.4% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 12.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 25 years, which is also fairly typical for a university town. For every 100 females there are 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 105.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $15,882, and the median income for a family is $34,601. Males have a median income of $30,217 versus $24,114 for females. The per capita income for the city is $13,346. 41.4% of the population and 23.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 32.1% of those under the age of 18 and 13.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. However, traditional measures of poverty can be misleading when applied to a community with a large proportion of students, such as Carbondale.

Culture

In addition to Southern Illinois University, the city has a variety of unique cultural institutions and enterprises (culture with "both a large and a small C"). In addition to the university's PBS and NPR broadcasting stations (WSIU), Carbondale is home to WDBX Community Radio for Southern Illinois, the Big Muddy Independent Media Center, two daily newspapers – the Southern Illinoisan and the university's Daily Egyptian, two weeklies (the Carbondale Times and the Nightlife) and a bi-weekly (Heartland Women). In addition to the University Museum the curious can visit the African American Museum or the Science Center. Food shoppers are offered a unique selection that includes a Mexican grocer, two international grocers, the Neighborhood Coop, and a thriving Farmers Market. Theater-goers can see both professional and student produced plays and performances at the university's McLeod and Kleinau Theatres, or attend off-campus productions by The Stage Company. A variety of fine arts are encouraged by the Carbondale Community Arts organization. Civic action is fomented in the city by Carbondale Conversations for Community Action (the local implementation of Study Circles). Spirituality finds expression in Carbondale in churches of a variety of Christian denominations, as well as a Unitarian Universalist fellowship, two mosques, a Jewish congregation, a Sufi community, a Hindu community, and meetings of the Southern Illinois Pagan Alliance. The Women's Center, in continuous service since its founding in 1972, was one of the first domestic violence shelters in the United States.

Carbondale has one high school - Carbondale Community High School.

Celebrations

In the 1970s and early '80s, Carbondale was famous for its elaborate public celebration of Halloween, with imaginative, original costumes and throngs of visitors attracted from other parts of Illinois and neighboring states. Carbondale is also infamous for a series of civil altercations that have occurred on Halloween. "The Strip", as the main stretch of local businesses and bars is known in the city, has often been shut down on Halloween in order to quell the riotous, alcohol-inspired behavior.[1] Since 2000 , the city has closed The Strip on Halloween with success and could relax the restrictions by 2009.[2] The riot activity has often been attributed to the presence of Southern Illinois University. In 2000, more than 100 arrests were made by multiple agencies. According to Carbondale Police Sgt. Paul Echols, many times it was an out-of-town person who incited the crowd, but SIU students were always there to follow the example. [3] Of the 29 arrests made by campus police, 14 were SIUC students.[4]

Today Carbondale is known for a number of yearly festivals, including the Lights Fantastic parade in December,[5] the Main Street Pig Out (a September barbecue-and-music festival),[6] the Big Muddy Film Festival (February/March), the Southern Illinois Irish Festival (April), the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta, and the Sunset Concerts, a series of free outdoor summer evening concerts in which a variety of local and regional bands are showcased on the Southern Illinois University campus and in city parks.

Outdoor Activities

Hiking:

Kayaking/Canoeing:

Just five minutes south of Carbondale is the city reservoir, Cedar Lake, which is an outstanding place to kayak or canoe. The north access features several dramatic rock bluffs and interesting bays to explore. There are other lakes nearby, including Little Grassy, Devils Kitchen Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, and Kinkaid Lake. Another, more remote location is Cache River, which is the northernmost cypress swamp in North America.

Activism

Largely due to the presence of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale has a long tradition of political activism. During the Vietnam War, and especially after the Kent State shootings, massive anti-war demonstrations took place on the SIU campus and on the streets of Carbondale, resulting in the closure of SIU, over $100,000 of property damage, more than 400 arrests[7] and the deployment of the National Guard to restore order.[8]

In the 2000s, in response to the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003), Carbondale has been the site of a weekly public Peace Vigil which has continued uninterrupted from December 2001 up to the present.[citation needed]

The city is home to several organizations concerned with peace, justice, and the environment, including the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois/Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Shawnee Green Party, the Student Environmental Center, the Southern Illinois Center for a Sustainable Future, and local chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Sierra Club, and the National Audubon Society.

The city was the location for the national Green Party Congress in 2001.

Rail Transportation

See also: Carbondale (Amtrak station)

Amtrak, the US passenger rail system, provides service to Carbondale. Amtrak Train 59, the southbound City of New Orleans, is departs Carbondale at daily with service to Fulton, Newbern-Dyersburg, Memphis, Greenwood, Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb, Hammond, and New Orleans. Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, departs Carbondale daily with service to Centralia, Effingham, Mattoon, Champaign-Urbana, Kankakee, Homewood, and Chicago. Carbondale is also served by Amtrak Train 390/391, the Saluki, daily in the morning, and Amtrak Train 392/393, the Illini, daily in the afternoon/evening. Both the Saluki and the Illini operate to Chicago originating and terminating in Carbondale.

Notable People

Sister Cities

Source[10]

References

  1. ^ The Daily Egyptian. Carbondale Halloween plans go up in flames. November 2, 2000.
  2. ^ The Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale City Council: Keep 'the Strip' closed for Halloween. November 23, 2006.
  3. ^ The Daily Egyptian. Worst Halloween vandal convicted. Aug 26, 2001.
  4. ^ The Daily Egyptian. Riots on the Strip result in more than 100 arrests during holiday weekend. November 3, 2000.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ Spring 1970: A season of protests
  8. ^ The Daily Egyptian. Remembering the Days of May.
  9. ^ Celebrity Wonder. Majored in Psychology and Nursing, left after two years for financial reasons. 1992.
  10. ^ http://www.ci.carbondale.il.us/QuickInfo/sister_cities.html
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